COLUMBUS – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) recently celebrated the opening of a new exhibit that explores the importance and significance of water quality across Ohio.
Project: Ripple Effect is a collaborative exhibit between COSI and ODNR and is filled with interactive exhibits focusing on the importance of conservation and how wetlands and forested riverbanks positively impact water quality.
ODNR collaborated with COSI in several ways, from the hallway showcasing what Ohio looked like underwater nearly 400 million years ago to what a wetland looks like today in the exhibit space containing depictions of trees, plants, and wildlife.
The exhibits encourage sustainable practices that can be implemented in homes and communities to make lasting impacts for the future.
“My hope is that families will take what they learn at COSI and feel the urge to protect the natural places that they love in their own communities,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. “What COSI has done with this space is incredible and it highlights why water is important in the environment, for wildlife, and for all Ohioans.”
Interactive displays throughout the exhibit include a wheel that visitors can churn to match the strength of a mussel cleaning water in a stream, a space where people can fish into a pool of water as well as displays where you make environmental choices and then see how those choices impact water quality.
“Water connects all of us, our communities, our wildlife, our future. Project: Ripple Effect brings that connection to life in a way that is hands-on, personal, and accessible to every guest,” said Dr. Frederic Bertley, President and CEO of COSI.
“We are grateful to Director Mertz and ODNR for co-creating this experience with us. Their expertise made it possible to tell Ohio’s water story with both scientific depth and genuine wonder. This exhibit is another example of how science truly is everywhere and for everyone.”
Project: Ripple Effect is designed for people of all ages and supports both ODNR and COSI’s mission in educating and inspiring Ohioans about conservation, science, and sustainability.
In addition to the new exhibit, ODNR’s film called Ohio: Wild at Heart is also playing at COSI and takes viewers on a journey through Ohio’s natural wonders and conservation success stories.